Mayflower curry in the slow cooker

This was perfect really worked well and personally i think it tasted better out of the slow cooker than when done in the pan! I use chicken thigh but you can use breast just leave it whole until the meal is cooked then you can dice it or shred it.

The Key is to mix the powder with boiling hot water to a dripping consistency not too watery but not too thick it needs to drip off the spoon – you can always add more water if needed.

I would also suggest you cook your first one when your around the house if possible because all slow cookers work differently and its hard for me to give you exact times measurements etc but if you follow the video you can always “tweak” it to suit your slow cooker

In the recipe i have said use 200ml of hot water but lately i have noticed buying new boxes sometimes i need to add more hot water, so start with 200ml then if you need more add small amounts slowly.

The slow cooker i use is on my Amazon Shop which if you look under the video section you can now watch a short video reviewing the slow cooker. Press the link it will take you there then look under KITCHEN GADGETS https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/julesthelazycook

This recipe appears in my cookbook MY SLOW COOKER MEALS which is available on Amazon in Paperback and kindle. Press here
https://amzn.eu/d/bxDzxmn

by julessmithie

Slow Cooker Jacket Potatoes

This has got to be the easiest shortcut ever and i know they can be done in the microwave but when your at work all day or out at the weekend for me i just want to walk through the door and have no messing! you can literally pick these out of the slow cooker and get your meal done and you may need the microwave to heat other things – anyway the choice is yours!

Some tips – cooking time will depend on how big your potatoes are and what size slow cooker your using and how quickly it cooks but as a rule of thumb i would say 6-7 hours on low, i did a test batch when i was in the house as my slow cooker is a bit of a hottie.  You will see i also scrunched up some foil and sat it on the bottom of the slow cooker when i used my old cooker i had a couple of occasions when the bottom of the potatoes were burned so i decided to lift them off the bottom and sit them on some foil

If the potatoes come out and are brown in the middle dont worry they have just been over cooked they are still perfectly fine and will probably have a “nutty” taste to them – just adjust your cooking time next time around

by julessmithie

Toad in the hole

Another family favourite that you can enjoy with the whole family Toad in the hole and trust me your family wont notice the difference – this is basically the 1 syn yorkshire pudding recipe but with low syn sausages! I used half the mixture as there is only the 2 of us and in my Toad i used weight watchers cumberland sausages half a syn each therefore 4 syns total (if your following slimming world) if not use whatever sausages you wish and turn it into a vegetarian dish by using vegetarian sausages so no one has to feel left out

This is really easy to make and will also freeze well if you want to batch cook

by julessmithie

Slow Cooker Gammon/Ham

Im sure you will all be aware by now that im always looking for ways to save money and this is one of my top money saving tips! This 1kg joint of gammon was about £3.50 ish  which is a good size – i always cook mine in the slow cooker you can take it out at the end and glaze it pop it in the oven and finish it off, but this joint was to use in soups, pastas, rice and sandwiches and is much cheaper than buying packet ham.  Here is how i do mine ginger beer works well with ham as it adds a sweet spicy kick to the meat not over powering but just a different taste

once cooked this will also freeze well for another day

by julessmithie

Mini Stuffed Pumpkin

Just loved this! and its so easy to do would make a fab starter or main for a dinner party, but its also a great way of getting speed veggies into your diet (if your following slimming world) this recipe is so adaptable you can add anything you want i added a little bit of chorizo and it really went well with the dish, This also makes a fantastic vegetarian dish

by julessmithie

Slow Cooker Lasagne

This is such an easy way to cook lasagne – i cooked the ragu (bolognese) part in the slow cooker for me this is just easier but you can do it whichever way you like – cooking it on the hob works equally as well. Plus my recipe for this part is basically my spag bol recipe it just works so well, so i cook up a huge batch of bolognese then decide which meal to turn it into.

For the white sauce i have tried everything and to be honest most of it works but my preferred method at the moment is to use primula cheese, (because it does not taste like cheese) to which i add hot water and create a creamy sauce. I promise no one is going to pick this up i use this a lot throughout my recipes and many people have eating my food and never once guessed what the sauce was made of.

Lets talk lasagne sheets i will not put everything into the slow cooker and cook for 4-7 hours the pasta sheets taste awful cooked this way they are overcooked and become soggy. In my recipe you will see i pre soak the sheets in hot water then build the lasagne after the ragu is cooked this way the pasta sheets are only cooking for approx 30mins meaning they are not overcooked or soggy.

Whatever you do please dont worry about the lasagne sheets breaking or looking untidy once its cooked you wont notice it at all.

by julessmithie

Slow Cooker Maggi So Juicy Bag ANY FLAVOUR

I love these Maggi bags they really can help get a quick tasty meal on the table with very little effort. The bags are designed to be cooked in the oven but they work equally as well cooked in the slow cooker I have used this method for years now and they always produce a fab meal.

Use any bag you like the method is the same regardless of flavour, just a couple of tips once the bag is filled with the ingredients give it a good massage to ensure the spice kit is distributed evenly.

Also the packet comes with a red tie if cooking in the slow cooker you don’t need that just roll the top of the bag over loosely try and squash as much air out of the bag as possible.

Add water to the slow cooker just enough to cover the base as this stops the slow cooker cooking above the set temperature.

NOTE:- if your using a slow cooker that has a ceramic pot once the meal is cooked leave the pot to cool completely before you wash it up DONT put it into any water until its cool or you could crack it

by julessmithie

Smash Scones

These are super simple and real tasty plus they are so easy to make – you can used any flavour smash and cottage cheese plus you can enhance the flavour by adding any spices and herbs you want or add extra cheese. I cook these in my halogen oven so i find i need to flip them over to ensure the bottoms are cook through. Also remember if you are following slimming world smash now carries a syn value.

You Will Need

1 x packet of smash any flavour

300g of fat free cottage cheese any flavour

2 medium eggs

by julessmithie

Slow Cooker Beef Brisket / Beef Joint

Nom Nom i love beef but sometimes it can be a bit “chewy” and tough but not when done this way plus its another of my Lazy Sunday Dinners which makes the beef melt in your mouth beautifully tasty. For 2 people i tend to use a joint approx 750g – 1kg.

I have cooked all cuts of beef in the method below and it always turns out delicious for me the key is to give yourself plenty of time and cook the joint on low and for a long period i find if you rush it you can run the risk of not cooking it for long enough and ending up with a tough piece of meat on your plate.

You can add any flavours you like i have even used a small bottle of lager to cook the meat in and that works really well, but a dash of water works equally as well.

If you would like to make the gravy from the meat juices i would really recommend getting a fat separator jug this will remove the fat from the juices with great ease, i have used every method know to man to do this and they are all a pain and time consuming.

The jug i use in the video is on my Amazon Shop press the link and look under kitchen gadgets https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/julesthelazycook

by julessmithie

Lemon Curd

I love lemon Curd and to be honest I have not made this recipe for years, probably since 2016 when I first posted it to my website.

It works well with Lemon cake and also to add to fruit at breakfast time, it will also last in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.

You can add more lemon zest if you want to make a sharp tart curd the choice is yours. My top tip for getting the curd to stop turning into scrambled eggs is to take your time and keep taking the bowl off the pan and whisking it ………if you dont it will heat too much and turn into scrambled eggs!

Also as soon as you have the curd to the consistency you like take it off the heat and place the hot bowl straight into cold water this stops the cooking and again avoids the scrambling of the eggs.

by julessmithie

Lemon Cake

This is such an easy cake to make and can really help when you are craving something sweet. There are some top tips to getting this cake to stop tasting of eggs and I have added them into my video.

The eggs are the rising agent in these types of cakes and if you don’t whisk the whites into really firm stiff peaks as soon as your cake is cooked it will sink so have patience when doing this part.

There is another common issue with this cake and it goes along the lines of “it tastes eggy”… well yes it will if you don’t get all the eggs incorporated properly and this starts when mixing the yolks into the flour ensure everything is incorporated and you can’t see any “lumps” of yolk sorry this is the only terminology I can find to describe this process 😂 you will understand what I mean when you see it.

Then we move onto the eggs whites once you have them into stiff peaks add 1/3rd of the mixture into the cake batter and slowly incorporate it. Add the rest of the whites but again make sure once its mixed you cannot see any lumps of the egg whites showing because this is how it will cook in the cake and this is what you are tasting, hence the “eggy taste”

Sweetness is personal preference I don’t particularly have a sweet tooth so I have reduced the amount of sweetener in the recipe. However this may not be sweet enough for you so my suggestion is taste the batter mix and if needed add more sweetener to suit your taste.

If you are following Slimming World you need to decide what’s best for you with regards to sweetener the rules for this changed a few years ago and it should be synned but the choice is yours.

Once the cake is cooked you can use a cocktail stick to prick it with holes and drizzle more lemon juice over or a mix of lemon juice and icing sugar.

by julessmithie

Slow Cooker Chilli

Another super easy and super quick recipe you will see i softened down the onions but thats personal preference if you dont want to or dont have time then chop and chuck them in. I would suggest you fry off the mince as it helps hold it together.  Add anything you want or anything that needs using up also add as much or as little chilli as you want – i like it hot hot hot! I have made this chilli today as part of my batch cooking and filling the freezer again this recipe makes 4 good sized portions and is a fantastic fall back when time is tight as it reheats perfectly

If you want to make this dish vegetarian and are using quorn add it towards the end of cooking say the last 40mins

Below are some of the meals i have made out of the slow cooker chilli, im a firm believer in always trying to find new ways to serve up old family favourites and to try and keep meals interesting.

Chilli Enchiladas Use slow cooker chilli to fill Enchiladas
Find recipe here https://julesthelazycook.co.uk/2020/04/24/chilli-enchiladas-using-leftover-chilli/
Chilli Cheesy Fries Use slow cooker chilli, cook wedges. Add chilli to bowl arrange wedges top with cheese Place under a grill to melt cheese.
Taco Bowls i love these as you can fill them with anything you like. How i make the taco bowl press here https://julesthelazycook.co.uk/2020/04/04/taco-bowl/
Chilli pasta bake, warm the chill, cook pasta add it to the chilli top with cheese then under the grill to melt the cheese.
by julessmithie

Slow Cooker (thicken the sauce)

This happens lots and as you can see it even happens to me it depends on many factors the veggies you use and how much liquid they add back into the dish also the amount of condensation your slow cooker produces which forms on the glass lid and then drips back into the cooker but here is a very simple way of dealing with it – basically this is exactly the same as bubbling a pan on the hob to reduce a sauce down

by julessmithie

Slow Cooker Pork (With Crispy Crackling)

Ahhhhh you’ve got to love a lazy Sunday lunch and this has got to be it! I absolutely love pork but it can have a tendency to be chewy and dry but not when cooked this way it turns into melt in your mouth yummyness. In the video below i have also shown how to create crispy crackling, we dont like the fat off any meats so for us this usually gets given to our local fox lol………however i know a lot of families like it so here is how i would do mine.

I always say you must lift the pork or any meats off the bottom of the slow cooker …why??? the heating element is right under the inner pot when you place it back into the slow cooker housing this is the hottest part of the slow cooker and this can make the meat cook quicker in the centre which can make it dry but more importantly not cook it evenly which can be dangerous when cooking meat.

Another option for using slow cooker Pork is to make pork buns with apple sauce and stuffing
by julessmithie

Spicy Sausage Casserole

This has got to be the easiest slow cooker meal i make and i usually turn to it when i know im going to have little time! Its very adaptable and can be easily changed to suit your family needs you can spice it up or spice it down the choice is yours plus it the most cost effective meal ever to feed a family.  I have used 4 weight watchers Cumberland sausages for 2 of us but you will see in my video how i make the sausages go further which if your on a budget keeps the cost down
You can also change this into a vegetarian dish and use vegetarian sausages and it will work just as well if your using Quorn add them to the slow cooker in the last hour of cooking

Below is a different version of the above recipe this is similar to a pasta bake but done in the slow cooker. The recipe is exactly the same as above BUT i have broken up lasagne sheets and added them to the slow cooker and added a layer of cheese and cooked for a further 15 minutes – verdict??? GORGEOUS

by julessmithie

Spaghetti Bolognese

Very quick and easy way to get a mid week meal on the table and very adaptable as you can literally use all the bits you have lurking at the bottom of the fridge, freezer vegetables also work well in this dish .

As you will see on the video i dont add any further liquid or stock the reason for this is that all the veggies frozen or fresh will add liquid to the dish (most veggies are water anyway) the trick here is towards the end of cooking if the sauce is too thick just add a splash of water but to date i have never added any further liquid – but each slow cooker is different and you will know better how yours cooks

This recipe appears in my cookbook MY SLOW COOKER MEALS which is available on Amazon in paperback and kindle  https://amzn.eu/d/bxDzxmn

The Slow Cooker i use is on my Amazon shop press the link it will take you there then look under KITCHEN GADGETS https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/julesthelazycook

by julessmithie

Lamb Curry (Pataks)

This makes a fab very easy weekend curry i have also made it using beef and it is equally as good this curry is very similar to a rogan josh in taste.

A very easy simple curry but dont let that fool you its packed with flavour it also batch cooks and freezes well i have made this many times now and it turns out perfect every time.

You will see i use frozen spinach purely because during the winter months spinach tends to not get used in our house so buying frozen stops any food waste. Both fresh and frozen work well in this recipe and both are added towards the end of cooking.

by julessmithie

Chicken Tikka Masala (Spicentice)

This is fab way of creating a very low syn Masala the spice pack from Spicentice is syn free and you can you fat free yogurt instead of cream or light cream personally i would used light cream. On the pack it doesn’t mention blending the sauce smooth but i think it worked better this way as the onions and cream blended make a beautiful thick sauce for the chicken tikka.  We cooked the chicken tikka on the BBQ but it can also be cooked under the grill.

Full cooking instructions are on the spice pack together with a shopping list of ingredients very easy to follow even for the most nervous of cooks

Use discount code Jules 20 for 20% of any order https://www.spicentice.com/

by julessmithie